The New Dark Age

7 June 2016 — 38 Degrees

Greedy companies are exploiting a loophole that lets them buy the rights to everyday medicines, hike up the price and rip-off our NHS. [1] They’re pocketing millions every year that should be going on patient care.

Our people-powered petition hit front page news at the weekend and health minister, Jeremy Hunt, has already been forced to act. [2] He’s ordered an investigation into the drugs companies. [3] But it’s not enough. He needs to shut down the loophole and stop other companies taking our NHS for a ride.

Clearly, Jeremy Hunt’s desperate to get the scandal out of the news right now. If thousands of us email our MPs now, we can ask them to put pressure on Jeremy Hunt to do more. If he goes into work this week and MP after MP puts him on the spot it could make him shut down the loophole – for good.

Please can you email Kate Hoey now, asking her to make the government shut down the loophole?

Every penny the NHS has should be spent on providing care – not lining the pockets of a few greedy people who have worked out how to get rich at the expense of the NHS. The scale of the scam is eye-watering. An investigation by the Times found that these medicine rip-offs are costing the NHS 262 million a year – enough to pay for 7,000 doctors. [4]

Jeremy Hunt’s got the power to stop this happening for good. He’s already feeling pressure from all sides so if a wave of us demand our MPs speak up for our NHS, it could force Hunt to shut down the loophole. [5]

Please can you email your MP now? It’ll take less than 2 minutes.

38 Degrees is a movement of people who believe in an NHS that gives patients the best care in the world. But unless we act now, a small number of people will keeping ripping out its heart. The NHS is about patients, not profit. So let’s come together now to make sure it can keep doing what it does best – looking after us whenever we need it.

Thanks for being involved

Lorna, Rachel, Maddy and the rest of the 38 Degrees team

NOTES:
[1] The scandal was exposed in the Times:
The Times: ‘Extortionate’ prices add £260m to NHS drug bill (behind a pay wall):
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/extortionate-prices-add-260m-to-nhs-drug-bill-8mwtttwdk
The Times: Brothers cost NHS millions by exploiting drug price loophole:(behind a pay wall)
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/brothers-cost-nhs-millions-by-exploiting-drug-price-loophole
Daily Express: REVEALED: Businessmen exploiting cash-strapped NHS to charge YOU sky-high prices for drugs:
http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/676469/NHS-drugs-prices-exploit-loophole-businessmen-Bhikhu-Vijay-Patel
[2] The Telegraph: Watchdog to investigate ‘extortionate’ drugs pricing claims:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/06/04/watchdog-to-investigate-extortionate-drugs-pricing-claims/
The Times: Drug ‘profiteers’ face fines:
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/drug-profiteers-face-fines-b0bc5tgbx
[3] See note 2
[4] See note 1
[5] Jeremy Hunt has called in the drugs pricing watchdog to investigate the drugs companies but they can’t close down the loophole stop the practice happening in future. See note 2 for more information